One of my favorite "larger" intimate venues. I've been here at least once a year since I was fifteen. I used to be here at doors, but nowadays, I time it to show up for the opening band (and I miss the lines, straight up front to grab my drink) and chill back by the sound booth unless it's someone I want to see up close.
It's not the cleanest place, by any means, but it's not as dirty as Alrosa! It's still a great place to catch acts before they "get too big."
Let me regale you with a tail of my last concert - Jim James. The bartender knocked over our first round by "stabbing" our cups with straws, and the net round, she dropped the gin bottle mid pour. It was entertaining. She wasn't bad, I think she was just a little clumsy.
I've been here numerous times over the years for shows and it's not my favorite concert venue, but I still have good times. Â It appears "they" never put any money into the place because it always looks the same (run down). Â They have very few seats and rarely open the balcony. Â I've seen the ladies room in horrendous shape, although it looked pretty clean last night. Â I'll keep coming back, regardless, because they book great entertainment.
Review Source:Oh Newport Music Hall. So many memories and I've been going here for less than four years.
It is my favorite place to see a concert. Small enough to be intimate, but large enough to attract some decent names. For instance, I have seen Cage the Elephant, Crystal Castles, Company of Thieves, ya know, that sort. They tend to have a lot of mainstreamish alternative artists, and at a relatively low price, thanks to CD101.
Some people say the sound is bad. Meh, I don't even notice, I'm to intrigued by the show. And they have good lighting effects.
Granted, the building looks pretty questionable, but I think it adds to it. There is so much history there, it has the right to look a little old.
Wonderful place. If you live anywhere near Columbus, you must see a show here in your lifetime.
For a place with such history, you'd never know what "good touring music" there is these days, because they barely book any.
The last time I saw a band I like here (the hives), it was at least 4-6 yrs ago.
If you like Sublime cover bands, you're in luck.
Any larger venue will have expensive booze, theirs is no exception.
Ive heard bands sound good here and bands sound bad here.
If I'd given Newport Music Hall a 3-star rating then I'd have to stare in the mirror and say, "You're gettin' too old to rock the house, my man." Â A CD release party was my 3rd introduction to the old opera house and the first under the Newport name. Â Yes,... I was a child of The Agora eons ago. Â This time around I braced for a completely new and improved venue and "VOILA"... just about the same place. Â Walk-in area for brews and some pizza... stairs to the upper area balcony. Â Open floor from in front of the mix board all the way to the smallish stage area. Â And look up! Â There is that archaic ceiling, black still, and peeling paint. Â It has a look and feel that says, "I'm ready for anything that you can throw at me." Â I liked it. Â Beers come in huge tub-like cups. Â The pizza slices are huge, hot and affordable. Â And the CD release party (The Regrettes) was a blast. Â Don't look for seating so that's my drop of a 5th star. Â Newport would be great to catch just about any up-and-coming act so long as your knees and feet don't give out. Â "You're gettin' too old to rock the house, my man."
Review Source:Came here one night last week to see Josh Krajcik from the X Factor play his homecoming concert at Newport. It was an easy venue to find given that it is right on the OSU Campus. We parked at the Union Parking Garage and quickly found our way across the street. As we walked in, we were greeted by a guy wanting to put wristbands on us if we were drinking. Anywho ... we made a quick stop at the restrooms, only to find the ladies restrooms upstairs. Once upstairs you see only two stalls with possibly more around the corner. I was lucky to find one close. The venue its self was ok. You can tell its been there awhile and the owners really havent put much effort into keeping the place up to date. You could see the holes in the ceilings from lights possibly or whatever. Just before Josh took the stage, the place started to get packed - even more than than when we first arrived. Great venue to hear someone sing, but just be ready to stand the entire time - unless you are lucky to get a table or seat along the wall.
Review Source:I watched Neko Case here back in spring '09. Good venue AND excellent location to which I could head directly after my astronomy class. :-) The bouncer at the entrance had me pull out my debit card to help verify the authenticity of my out-of-state photo ID, and I appreciate this as an anti-underage drinker.
I wasn't the first person to arrive for the show, but I still secured for myself a spot reeeally close to the stage. I did attend the concert without company, however. "Seating" was actually "standing-room-only," but I could still move my limbs about freely. Â Then again, I guess Neko just was not as popular with my demographic and didn't seem to attract much of the OSU masses, because the audience pretty much appeared to be late twenty- to mid-fortysomethings, save for a small group of chill (and short) sixteen-year-olds in front of me.
I forgot what beer I'd ordered before the opening act (Crooked Fingers, whose bus or van was just towed by the local Shamrock company), but I think the bartender was nice. :-)
Yay for the Newport!
P.S. It was a Heineken I ordered; that's right, maybe a Heineken Light--not as if this postscript even matters, haha! :-P
Came here to see AFI in 2007 to celebrate my birthday. The band was making its comeback and promoting its new CD, "decemberunderground" and I guess they wanted something small and intimate to reconnect with their fans. I'd been worried about the venue, because I'd heard some not-so-good things about it, but my fears were unfounded. The Newport was perfect for this concert. The sound quality was really good, there wasn't any pushing or shoving, and while beer was getting sloshed around, it thankfully stayed well away from me (I wasn't drinking age then and I still lived with my folks). When a venue is "standing room only," you don't want to leave your spot for any reason, especially when you're close to the stage!
I couldn't see much because of the mass of humanity and the concert lighting, but for as small as it is, the Newport held a lot of people. It's a very nice concert venue. The only thing is, it's in the campus area, so High Street traffic, suicidal idiot OSU students, and the shittiest damn parking you will EVER experience. Other than that, I love it!
I'd say this is one of the better music venues in Cbus. Â It's easy to park the relatively safe garages across the street (although getting out after a show takes foooooreeeevvverrrrrr). Â The bar serves good beer, although it is cash only, which is consistently a bummer. Â You can usually finagle your way into a good place to stand, particularly on the edges of the "pit" area on the ground floor. Â I think the sound space is good - certainly nothing to complain about here. Â I love looking around at the old decoration on the ceiling; it's cool to think about what the place was when it was built.
Review Source:I've been here for a number of shows over the years. Sadly, its been awhile. This past month I went with the hubster to see a band of his choice. We went in right as the doors opened. Then we sat., for 30 minutes of boredom. Finally I asked the bartender, who wondered if I had even been there before. I mean, hey, I know, its been awhile. So the opening band goes on about 1 hour after doors open, and then the main band is about 2 or so hours after doors open. Just good to know. Wish I had remembered that. Le sigh. Otherwise, very VERY cool place. I love the ceiling and the feel of it.
Review Source:I was at that '98 Deftones show that Michael U. refers to and wow what a show! Â Back then Newport was the best place to go for a show, especially living on the OSU campus, just walk across the street and you're there. Â Now a days I live to far to walk, but I find it just as easy to park in the South Campus Gateway parking garage and walk 2 blocks down High Street. Â The Newport hasn't changed, it's still a little smelly, a little sticky, and a whole lot of awesome. Â No matter where you position yourself on the main floor you have a great view of the show, and It doesn't hurt they have Stella and CBC Pale Ale on draft!
Review Source:I don't have a ton to say about this place. It's pretty average as far as the concert venues I've been to goes. The one thing I didn't like about this place was how it was Cash Only. Of course I bank two feet away but have to pay to use an ATM because it's no re-entry and I didn't know. Oh well, I suppose. Their beers were definitely reasonably priced and they have Shock Top on tap, which I love! The sound is good at this place and the bathrooms are pretty decent.
Someone else reviewed this and mentioned they wished they had a coat check, and I could totally see why this would be necessary. There arn't very many close places to park, so you either hold your coat, sweat with it on, or freeze without it in the winter.
It is pretty much what you expect when it comes to a small venue like this. Lots of people crammed in, not much personal space. But that is how these venues go, so I guess get over it if you want to see your favorite band. The nice thing about this place is that it has some alcoves for short people to stand where you won't get injured or gassed out by B.O. I stood by the stairs going into the pit and had a great time. I also noticed that the balcony was particularly welcoming for short people. I might check that out next time.
All-in-all a good time at the Newport!
Saw Machine Head here last week... was the first time I'd been to this venue, and was hoping I wouldn't be to disappointed, I was driving 2 hrs for the concert...
The only crappy thing was parking. My god, I drove around for like 20 minutes down One Way streets, even my GPS was getting confused.... finally found a parking garage and just paid the couple bucks for that. I would highly, highly suggest: Don't even try to find off-street parking, just find the garage and walk the couple of blocks.
Upon first going into the place, I thought it was a little dingy, def not the worse place I'd ever been, the whole deco just really added to the personality of the venue. I loved you could go up on the balcony, though I chose not to, I was up in front all night. Which brings me to the stage. Perfect height, didn't seem like a HUGE stage, and the bands all looked awesome up there. The sound system wasn't too bad either, but considering where I was standing, I couldn't get the full effect. :)
The people at the bars were nice and friendly, the girls' bathroom wasn't bad either, it's pretty much what I expected from a concert venue. I didn't hear the b/f complain about the guys' bathroom, so I'll assume that one was in decent shape, too. Â
Best part of the night... $7 for a cup of beer that I called my little beer bucket. When you're used to spending almost $9 for just a can of beer at some places... a $7 equivalent to about 2-3 cans is uber awesome.
The other reviews for the Newport are spot-on. Â What it lacks in cleanliness it makes up for in charm and fun.
I made a key mistake in using the restrooms. Â If you are a female, do not do this. Â Ever.
Also, it's probably good to only come to concerts here when you're in a mood where you won't be bothered by (or where you'll actually enjoy!) throngs of people bumping into you/standing directly in front of you/facebook-ing during the entire concert. Â The venue just isn't set up for people to enjoy much personal space.
What can I add? Â The Newport has been around forever; it was the Agora into the '80s. Â It's a great place to see a band: big enough for a fairly popular band, small enough to still feel intimate. Â I usually stand behind the soundboard, for a better view and less crushing. Â There are many good spots in this place, though. Â The bathrooms aren't great, but hey, try to go beforehand...
The most recent show I saw was The Airborne Toxic Event, and they made the place come alive. Â I've been many times before, and will definitely be back. Â Once it gets much bigger than this, a venue looses interest for me- too many people, too far from the stage, etc.
Parking across the street in the OSU garage is easy and fairly cheap.
Newport is a medium sized concert venue, at least in terms of the Columbus scene. Its official capacity is 1,700. That's smaller than the LC's indoor (2,200) and outdoor (4,500) venues. Quite obviously, Huntington Park, Schottenstein Arena, Nationwide Arena and Ohio Stadium are much larger venues as well. The Basement and A&R Music Bar, the other two venues owned by Lifestyle Communities, are both smaller, as are the hundred plus bar-venues in town. As a result of its size, you get national acts at Newport; generally bands on their way up (or, I suppose, on their way down). If local acts are on stage, they're up there festival-style with 9 other local bands.
There are what I consider 4 distinct areas at the Newport from which to watch a show: there's a large "pit" area directly in front of the stage. This area offers the best view of the musicians, but you're probably going to get bumped around a fair bit, depending on the type of show you're at. Surrounding the pit is the ground-level area. This is where the bar and concession stand are located. This area tends to be a lot more laid back than the pit area. There's room to move around, and it's easy to leave your spot, grab a beer, and come back. This area forms a u-shape around the pit, so there are spots very near the stage that offer views nearly as prime as those from the pit area. There are also two distinct areas upstairs. There's a seating area at the far back of the venue right by the stairs. The advantage there is the ability to sit, the downfall is it's the farthest view in the place. The second area upstairs is the balcony, which lines the sides of the venue. The balcony spots near the stage are prime, as you can look down right on the band.
As aforementioned, the bar is downstairs on the ground level. A concession stand is nearby as well. Outside the actual concert-viewing area is a sort of foyer area. Here's where band merchandise is sold. There's also an ATM here, and the stairs to the second floor. The men's bathroom is on the ground level, while the woman's bathroom is upstairs. The bathrooms are fairly small, so be prepared for a line, especially between sets or after the show. The men's bathroom is pretty nasty, but that's to be expected when lots of drinkers are haphazardly doing their business in between crowd surfs.
The look and feel of the Newport is pure rock and roll. It's got that perfect mix of old-school theater house (the layout, the molding around the stage, etc.), and punk rock persona (black, peeling paint, loud noise and rowdy patrons).
The ticket prices have been fantastic for the shows I've seen. CD101's low dough shows ($5!) are an especially awesome bargain.
The beer selection is fair for this type of venue - 6-or-so beers on tap, all served in those giant plastic cups. The beer is hardly a bargain, however. The upside is that there are normally lots of bartenders working the bar, so even long lines shrink quickly.
I don't have any real complaints with the Newport. There are plenty of places to stand with great views of the stage, the sound and lighting are great, the venue itself has a great, classic rock and roll feel, and all the shows I've seen have been fantastic. Other people have complained about the smell, the temperature and the sticky floors -- to me, these types of things are to be expected at rock shows, but I don't find any of them overwhelming at the Newport. Highly recommended.
* A note about parking: Newport has no dedicated parking lot. If  you're driving to the show you'll have to park on-street somewhere east of the venue, or park in a garage nearby. I've parked in the South Campus Gateway garage a number of times - it's a short 200-yard-or-so walk to the venue.
I came here this past Saturday for a Jimmy Eat World concert <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pg36MIVm_J09Qw5yHHk0bw?select=3sirym73jKA3fh2ggD0XPA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>. I got in the line outside a quarter after 5pm, and the show was set to start at 7pm. There were already about 50 people in front of me, and by the time the doors opened, there were probably at least 300+ people behind me <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pg36MIVm_J09Qw5yHHk0bw?userid=2fN8mN7uUjOw-QqtcgYqXQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>.
Newport Music Hall is small and cozy. I like the overall setup, with the pit, the elevated sides with rails, and the balcony above that borders the pit, but the acoustics in the music hall are pretty bad. Then again, I was in the 2nd row from the front, so it may just have been bad positioning.
Also, people bring in beer into the pit, and the entire floor was disgustingly sticky by the end of the concert.
The Newport and I go way back - 1998 actually - and having seen over 150 concerts in my life I've probably seen more at Newport than anywhere else. Â I can't be sure, I'd have to look through my ticket stubs, but I'm pretty damned sure the first show I ever saw there as a Freshman at OSU was The Deftones (my second time seeing them.)
Flash forward 12 years, a whole lot of education - the Newport is still a fantastic venue and the Deftones sounded better than ever last night. Â Steph has really let himself go and poor Chi is no longer with the band, but Abe still absolutely destroys the drums and I really have no idea how Chino continues to do what he does each and every night - the gutteral howls turning into ear piercing screams then falling into perfect pitch - but this time he wasn't drinking or doing whippets on stage and they sounded spot on. Â
A dark venue, a dank venue, poor circulation, and hot as hell - but just the right indoor acoustics for a metal show that I've seen outside the State Theater (up yours, "Fillmore") in Detroit. Â The pit was wild, the crowd was into it, and closing with Engine No.9 and 7-Words?
Heavy bands need to quit going to the LC - as Chino said last night, "This place feels like home."
Check it - Chino knows what being "Elite" is all about:  <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DR5L8QihChCk%26feature%3Drelated&s=8eec33387cf75ccdb3890444bbdf6ae00ce7a3deb9c1d345f1b7ea92c87fa5e5" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
If memory serves me right (and it very rarely does), my first concert at the Newport was Phantom Planet in 2002, fall quarter of my freshman year of college. I thought the place was huge, much larger than it appears to me today. I distinctly remember thinking that having such a large music venue so close to campus was really awesome.
Time has passed and I haven't seen nearly as many shows here as I would like, but that's because I'm lazy and broke. I used to think that there wasn't a bad "seat" (place to stand) in the entire house, but at a recent concert I was stuck behind the sound booth and realized that I misjudged. Anywhere inside of the pit, the raised platforms flanking the stage or the balcony has moderate to great sound.
Behind the sound booth and beyond and you're likely to loose some of that magic. This is also the area where people are most likely socializing during a concert - since it's near the lighted lobby and bars. If you're someone like me that needs to be immersed in the sound and music and feeling of a show to really have a great time, push your way forward. If you line up early enough for a show and you want a great view but don't want to be crushed in a pit, get a seat on those raised platform areas that I mentioned before. They're great for seeing everything on stage.
The Newport is my favorite concert venue in Columbus. There seems to be a layer of rock and roll filth on every surface. I watch bands anxiously wondering if this is the show that the dirt on the ceiling finally comes down. I'm not sure what the smell is, but it always seems to be there. Despite these qualities, I love it. A good scrub wood just take away the rock and roll charm. It is the "longest continuously running rock club in America," so they must be doing something right.
Being short, I prefer standing on the side against the rail or in the balcony. My rules here are: Don't go to the bar (too expensive)
Don't go to the bathroom (the no bar rule helps this)
Bottom line: If you like to rock out you'll love the energy here.
The best place for live music in Columbus. I've been several places, and while there are some fun ones, none compare to the Newport. The pit is fun, but the side areas are better. You can see the band clearly if you stand along the rail, and you won't get shoved all night.
You don't really need reviews for concert halls, do you? I mean, you're going to go if your favorite band is there, and you won't if they aren't. But it's a great time if you qualify.
Truth: I have lived in Cbus for three years now and had never been to the Newport til the Scion Rock Fest this weekend. Weird, I know, but I guess I never really had a reason - most of the bands I like play at smaller more *ahem* intimate venues. *wink*
The Newport is cool. I didn't find it gross, but I guess it would be hard to tell with several hundred metalheads crammed in there, rocking out to DRI and Voivoid on a rainy Saturday evening (yes, evening, I think it was probably like 8pm when we got there, after having been shuttled over from Skully's - free shuttle, btw? Yessah!). But whatever, rock n roll knows no time limits and it isn't supposed to be too clean anyway. The Newport is nice and big, with balconies and several levels and a very very large stage and plenty of standing room. I agree that the Newport has good energy - it reminds me of my wasted youth. ;)
The women's bathroom is slightly odd here, it's almost not an enclosed space, but it's cleaner than some venues, so I'll take it. Not sure about beer prices, since I didn't buy, but I did consume a mighty large can of LaBatt's (my people's beer!!) and called it a night (meaning, I took the shuttle back over to Skully's to catch Yob and Shrinebuilder). The Newport seems to be all function in terms of beer - people had either tall boys or Very Large plastic containers of cheap beer. Oh, Ohio. Oh, The Newport.
Yeah. I'd like to see an actual show here sometime, as opposed to a festival, but this was a good experience and I'm glad I finally got to step inside the famed Newport Music Hall.
Inspired to review Newport because of the blasphemy that Mel B had never been here!
Anyway, I've been coming to Newport since I was 14 and long before I lived in Columbus. It just so happened that most of the bands I was into played in Cbus, and at the Newport, instead of in Pittsburgh, which was much closer to my hometown. And now that I live here, I see more shows here than anywhere else.
I love this venue. It is - for the types of more well-known acts who regularly perform here - a small, intimate space. It's grimy and sticky and exactly what you would expect of a rock n' roll concert venue. Mildly unsettling? Yes. Detracting from the concert experience? Nope. And the tiny smoking area out back is where you will have some of the weirdest conversations of your life in between sets.
Parking=across the street in a garage.
I've seen several shows mostly on impulse while cruising by on the weekend. Recently last year, Tegan and Sarah, The Bravery, Your Vegas, and Brand New.
I learned the hard way during the first part of T & S that the sound is horrible on the floor. Much better upstairs but if you are desperate to have an 'intimate' experience with the band up front you can do that as well. Tickets are generally pretty cheap at this place and for an old theatre it is not in to bad a shape, a bit reminiscent of LES joints in the late 80's early 90's.
Afer getting my ATM card chewed up twice I finally learned to NEVER use the shady machine right outside the adjacent chipotle.
This place has good energy and is a fun place to check out smaller acts and bands that are a hit with college crowds due to its proximity to OSU.
I've been coming to the Newport for concerts since I was in high school. Many times I'd drive the two hours to Columbus with my friends to go see our favorite bands perform here and it was always a great time. This place is legendary.
The Newport is just a little concert venue on High St. right in the middle of the OSU campus area. It's right between Chipotle and Panini's and is pretty inconspicuous except for the sign out front above the front door that lists that day's show and a few upcoming shows.
The Newport is a very old building and it's definitely not the cleanest place. It's pretty dingy and dark, but it's perfect for seeing a live show. When you get to the Newport, you'll find that parking isn't exactly a breeze. You'll have to find a spot at a nearby parking garage or on one of the streets around where the students live. When you're going to a show, I wouldn't get there much earlier than the time it says on your ticket. The thing about the Newport is that since it's all general admission, it's all standing room only and they don't usually let people in until the time it says the doors open on your ticket, or sometimes a little bit later. There is usually a long line out in front that trails down High St. If you are wanting to get right up to the stage, then get there early and wait in line. I've done this many a time! It's not so bad in the summer, but if it's raining or something then you have to brave the elements, as there's not much of a cover above your head. Depending on the show, sometimes people will get there super early and wait outside just to get right up to the front when they open the doors.
If you don't care about waiting in line and you get there soon after the doors are opened, you go in the front doors and you'll have to have one of the workers scan your ticket. If you want to buy a beer or some alcohol, however, you'll have to show someone at the front by the ticket scanners your ID and they will give you a bracelet. They'll check that you have your bracelet when you buy a drink. Once you go in, the bar is to the right and it's pretty expensive. Most concert venues charge a lot for drinks. I don't think that the Newport is that bad. You can get a really huge plastic cup of beer (domestic) for $6.75. Could be worse.
There isn't a coat check, so if you go in the winter, be prepared to hold your coat, or brave the cold from the car to the venue without it. Then it's pretty comfortable inside. But in the summertime, it gets really hot in there because there's no air conditioning and with so many people packed together, it can get really stuffy.
At smaller shows, they will have tables set up around the main floor, but they do away with them for the more popular shows when the place completely fills up. It's a really intimate venue and I love that. You have a great view of the stage no matter where you are, and you're still close enough to see everything and feel close to all the action. There's a main floor that lets you get almost right up to the stage (you can get right up there for some shows) and to get there you'll take some steps down from the lobby. The area surrounding the main floor is also a great place to watch because it's still very close but you don't have to deal with as much of the crowding. Then there's a balcony up above - also a great view! I just love how close you feel to the performers on stage.
The bathrooms here aren't really all that bad. They aren't real big, but there are several stalls and sinks. Sometimes you have to watch to make sure there's toilet paper, though. I forgot to mention that right when you walk in you'll see a merchandise table area where you can buy T-shirts and CDs and all kinds of goodies.
During some of the bigger rock concerts, this is moshing, crowd surfing, and I've even seen people jump from the balcony (don't try it!). It's a really down and dirty venue and the shows are so much fun. I have a lot of good memories here. I've seen the Deftones here several times, Cold, MSI, we just went and saw Tim and Eric last night, the list goes on. I love that whoever is performing will sometimes step down from the stage and walk around in the crowd or even crowd surf! This place allows that kind of interaction because the crowd isn't that huge and everything is so close together.
This is also a great venue to meet your favorite performers. Sometimes they'll come out after the show and sign autographs because the crowd isn't too big and most people left. But most of the time after a show, people go out and wait by the tour buses, which park right behind the Newport. They wait there until the band comes out to get their pictures and such. I was able to meet all of Linkin Park because they all hung out around the empty stage area after one of their shows. Pretty cool. And sometimes you can see band members walking around the area before the show. This place is so historic and it's such a classic. Always a good time.
I've been going to shows at the Newport for about 15 years. Â Some of my most memorable concert experiences--good and bad--have taken place there. On the fabulously good side of the continuum, there was Dinosaur Jr. circa 1994 on the 'Where You Been' tour. The Newport seemed like a perfect place for that kind of music, with its dark and dingy feel contrasting against the ornate vestiges of theatre-dom near the high ceiling. It was one of the first shows i saw from the new wave of alternative music that was changing my life hugely at the time, and i was young and impressionable. The Newport seemed a very appropriate place for this underground music that was breaking through into the mainstream.
All the other reviewers have mentioned the dirty feel of the place, the long lines outside because of tardy door openings, so i don't need to say much about all of that. The main thing about the Newport that is noteworthy to me is matter of its acoustics.
I've seen shows (Ben Folds Five) that were so muddy yet grating in the  mid range frequencies that i went away saying i would never see another show at the Newport. Pain in the ears. But then maybe a year will pass and some band that is attractive to me will be scheduled there, and i'll go and enjoy the sound for the most part. It seems that the instrumentation and style of music occupying the stage on a given night makes all of the difference whether the sound is tolerable at the Newport. I'd say the place doesn't handle really loud bands well at all. The bass waves bounce all over and build up in the corners and make everything happening in the performance less intelligible. My most recent experience at Newport was to go see the Whigs with my nephew. Well, the Kooks were headlining, but i didn't know them at all and i don't want to say a lot about them because they're so damn prissy. Anyway, the Whigs' performance was good and tight and compelling, but not as compelling as it could've been had the overall volume through the PA been higher. They sounded a bit distant. But, if the sound man had stepped over that threshold of loudness where this shitty bass and mids phenomenon starts happening in that hall, the experience would've been less gratifying and tending toward the painful.
And that's the main thing i want to say about the Newport: It's a crapshoot Â
whether the act you came to see is going to fit well enough into the hall's acoustical and sound reinforcement scenario to make the show musically edifying. And of course i should warn you that buying cocktails or beers there will make you broke.
Let's get honest here. The Newport is gross. There's some kind of film on everything in the place. But it's a rock club, and a rock club wouldn't be as good if it weren't a little gross.
Like most of the other reviewers, I agree that the sound is pretty bad. Then again, like most of the other reviewers, I've had some hellacious concert experiences here.
My favorite show was when the Flaming Lips played in 1999 on their Soft Bulletin tour. Somehow I thought it would be a good idea to wear some pricey sandals that I had just bought. I was in the pit, and there had to be an inch of watery-beer sludge on the floor. The sandals (and my feet) never forgave me. Still, it was an amazing show -- one of many.
Parking is a bear and the place seems nastier as I get older. Nevertheless, the Newport is one of Columbus' best live music spots.
For the countless shows I've seen at this legendary campus-area venue, the most accurate description I can muster regarding The Newport is that it's at odds with itself. They pull in some truly class-A acts at just about every stage in their career, but if those bands could here the downright atrocity that the PA has been known to transform their sound in to, they'd never play in Columbus again. It doesn't happen ALL the time, but it's certainly enough for even the least trained ear to notice. The best example of this is the most recent time I saw one of my favorite bands, Built to Spill, headline a show here. Best known for their multi-tracked guitar noodling that requires a troupe of no less than three lead guitarists to flesh out on stage, the combination of poor sound engineering and mucky high-end speakers made it impossible to hear anything but a wall of guitar noise over a bone-rattling kick drum. If I hadn't have paid $15 for the ticket to get in, I probably would have put on my iPod and watched the rest of the show from the balcony.
I've had a handful of experiences similar to that one at The Newport, but the number of times I've had the time of my life seeing bands that thrive on nothing but power chords and the rabid energy of the crowd more than makes up for a lot guitar solo or two. Out of all the mid-sized venues I've seen shows at, The Newport simply cannot be beat in when it comes to crowd enthusiasm. Being located across the street from a school the size of OSU certainly helps, as a show from a band like Saves the Day, Taking Back Sunday, or the million other bands that share their sensibilities (i.e. loud and fast) can make the air in The Newport electric within minutes. The ability to let it all out and think about nothing but the music for an hour takes precedent over the overpriced beer and the terrible bathrooms, making The Newport the source for a hundred out of control nights that I won't soon forget.
I think people remember good bands and good shows and not what the Newport actually is.
Set up wise, it's perfectly fine. However the place definitely looks like it could use a fresh coat of paint or maybe just cleaned. Even while drunk and my concern for sanitation severely diminished I was still afraid to touch anything in the bathrooms. The bar serves the expectedly over-priced domestic beer (possibly slightly watered-down) and a few import beers.
They seem to never open promptly, as just about every other Friday night there is a significant line waiting to get in. Quick business tip: open early, people will have nothing better to do but buy merchandise and drinks at ridiculously gouged prices. The outside is an absolute eye soar to the otherwise interesting campus portion of High street. At any given time there is a pile of wet sloppy trashed piled in front of the doors. Even when it hasn't rained in a week.
Maybe its just me and my tastes, but it seems that over the past year they really have not gotten many good acts. And I'd say I walk by and check it out at least every other week.
I'm not saying it should be made fancy or elegant (to me that would ruin the spirit of a concert), but hell at least make it moderately presentable. Its a landmark of campus and in a prime location. Clean it and schedule some noteworthy bands.
Oh and beware the bums. Some have been there for years (literally).
I am probably not the Newport's target audience, but I can't say I'm a fan. Â The doors don't open until very shortly before showtime, leaving lines of people standing on the sidewalks. Â The crowd is always violent - even at a Rusted Root concert, when everyone should have been stoned and mellow, I got kicked around and had beer spilled all over me. Â My boyfriend got a concussion here, which makes me think that some people come to every concert regardless of the band just in the hopes of moshing. Â The bathrooms are filthy. Â Unfortunately I can't recommend it even for what seems like a safe, non-violent band.
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